Antioxidants are extremely beneficial to your health. Not only can you tap into their power by eating them (think superfoods like goji berries and pomegranate), but you can also benefit from them in your skin care products. They are like revitalizing soldiers, helping to combat the elements responsible for signs of aging.

According to a study published by the Pharmacognasy Review, overexposure to damaging UV rays can lead to the formation of free radicals in the deep layers of the skin. These free radicals can disrupt the collagen responsible for skin elasticity and plumpness, contributing to the aging process.

So, when you think about protecting your skin from sun damage, SPF is only half the battle. For more complete protection, turn to the power of antioxidants. A couple of their benefits include shutting down free radicals before they can destroy collagen and also protecting your skin from non-UV offenders like pollution. Since your face has the biggest chance of sun exposure, even in the Winter, it’s important to find antioxidant-rich products that you can easily add to your skin care routine.

Here are three essential antioxidants that will give your skin a healthy-looking appearance:

Vitamin E
Also known as tocopherol, vitamin E is a potent antioxidant that efficiently limits the damage from free radicals. When you’re heading out into the sun, it’s best to look for a sunscreen that also has powerful antioxidants like our Protect All Over Sunscreen SPF 30. Made with effective mineral non-nano zinc oxide, it blends smoothly into your skin without leaving white streaks. It’s loaded with hydrating vitamin E and antioxidant-rich green tea and blood orange extracts to fight off free radicals. At night, try the No. 2 Plumping Facial Mask, formulated with vitamin E and skin-nourishing peony root, to perk up your complexion.

Vitamin C
Essential for collagen biosynthesis, vitamin C has been proven to help to reduce the appearance of dark spots and create a more even-toned complexion. To soak up the benefits and enjoy a refreshing experience, try our No. 1 Brightening Facial Oil. Packed vitamin C, marula oil will soften, protect, and brighten skin, while meadowfoam seed oil locks in moisture, leaving you ready to bask in luxurious hydration.

Green Tea
For the tea drinkers out there, you’re probably well aware of the health perks of downing your favorite brew, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the antioxidant benefits from this leaf by applying it to your skin. This skin-conditioning agent works to calm redness and irritation. Made with green tea leaf extract and calming chamomile flower oil, Rejuvenating Radiance Serum was designed to help even skin tone, reduce the appearance of fine lines, and improve firmness. Plus, the gentle formula is perfect for daily use.

If you want to give your skin and body the benefits of antioxidants from head to toe, don’t just load up in the fruit aisle. For maximum results, include a topical application of antioxidants that help to fight UV damage, ward off the effects of pollution to your skin, kick free radicals to the curb, and leave your skin glowing.

Check out all of Beautycounter’s awesome skin care and let me know how i can help! My personal favorite is the cleansing balm! First purchase on this pot of gold gets free shipping on me OR some free samples of choice! Just message me and I will take your order! The cleansing balm is a serious multi-tasker in a jar and last FOREVER. Use it with a clarasonic for an at home facial…I LOVE it and know you will too! XO!

Diastasis Recti.. what is it? It’s an abdominal separation. DR is normal during pregnancy, our bellies have to separate in order to make room for our growing babe. It SHOULD heal back together postpartum. However, in about 33% of women it doesn’t heal back properly. And it’s actually pretty common. I had this BAD after my first baby. I remember trying to do bicycle crunches and my stomach domed out like a football… and I definitely constantly looked like I was 4 mo pregnant. It can happen to anyone but seems more common if you have a shorter/ petite torso. For me my connective tissue was stretched so thin and it’s been a struggle to heal it… but I’ve healed it a TON. There are quite a few things to do if you have this issue. First you can check to see if you actually have an abdormal abdominal separation. (Btw it should be seperated some, that’s normal) .. what’s not normal is if it’s more than 2 fingers wide and super deep.

What you want is to build the connective tissue so the gap is not deep. To test you lay on your back, do a tiny crunch and put two fingers tips pointing down at your belly button, then just barely lift your head until you can feel the sides of your abs contract. See how many fingers wide this gap is and how deep. Test it all the way up and down your midline. Hopefully it’s all normal for you! If not there’s a few things you can do To help.. first thing is no crunches, planks, bad posture or anything that causes your abdominals to dome out. Check out the picture I attached for some ideas to help strengthen your abs and connective tissue. You can find more online & also YouTube videos of how to test your seperation if your confused.

Another thing that can help rebuild the connective tissue is supplementing with collagen and/or making your own bone broth that is filled with natural collagen. I do both. Sometimes I get burned out with making bone broth so much I just do the collagen 😉 I also found for ME to watch out with squatting/ deadlifting too heavy. Recently I tried to do super heavy deadlifts and a part of my seperation that was healed opened back up.

I hope this quick blog helps a bit! I’ve been getting some questions lately and just discussed this topic in my class. Most people think to get rid of the “mummy tummy” postpartum is to add more crunches and planks in… so make sure you check to see if you have a DR before doing so, otherwise it will make it much worse! Rehab those abs before adding back in those exercises

Hi friends! Thanks for taking the time to read this. First a bit about myself… my name is Terri Turner, I am most importantly a mommy to my two little girls, Kinslee & Adalynn , my fur babies and a wife to my husband, Ryan. I have a masters degree in health promotion & exercise science, I’m a retired IFBB professional figure competitor, I’ve been a personal trainer for 14 years and currently teach/ train students with World Instructor Training Schools to become personal trainers, run my online business www.TerriTurnerFitness.com & a beautycounter representatives.

So what’s up with beautycounter? Let me start by saying I am NO sales person in any way, shape or form. Multilevel marketing companies have always been a turn off to me (I have had my share of people harassing me esp during my competing years to join their teams and all that…its annoying, I get it!) and the thought of “selling” makes me sweat, lol… let me start off telling you about my story or why I choose “natural” or “organic” living for myself and my family.. natural living meaning eating as organic as possible, using natural / non toxic cleaning products, exercising, and choosing non toxic skin care/ beauty products.

Prior to 2010 I was not anywhere close to even caring about what I put on & in my body. As, many of you know I was a professional figure competitor in the IFBB for many years. I had a high stress lifestyle. Lots of competitions, appearances, traveling, photo shoots etc … I got little sleep, drank lots of energy drinks, took fat burners, pills to get me to sleep, got lots of spray tans, did way too much exercise and restricted dieting, spent lots of time in the nail and hair salon since I always had to keep up my “appearance” … and way too much time away from family… I never second guessed if my MAC makeup was toxic or the stinky spray tan I put on my body could be causing any harm.. I wouldn’t dare spend the extra money on buying organic chicken… because dang! Some days I was eating like 30oz so that adds up financially!!!

I never thought about why I was so exhausted (even though I drank more caffeine) on my “off season” of maybe 2-3 months, or wondered why I would gain a dumb amount of weight within a few weeks after a show or why I lost my menstrual cycle for 6 years. I constantly had my eye on the prize… my career. While my career took off (and I’m forever grateful for all the accomplishments I had and the wonderful people I meet!) my health continued to suffer.

Fast forward to 2010. My years of hard work paid off & I finally made it to the Olympia! (the Oylmpia is the biggest professional show of the year that you have to qualify for) A few weeks prior I started having some weird health symptoms, but I ignored it all continued to train.

The Olympia is where my “ah-ha” moment happened. My husband and I were in the New Orleans hotel in Vegas doing my spray tan (competition color is no ordinary spray tan btw… it’s super dark and almost turns you into a different ethnicity!) as I stood there waiting for my spray tan to dry, CNN comes on the TV with a news alert saying how new studies prove that the chemicals such as parabens found in cosmetic & beauty products are linked to the rise in cancer. They also listed a few examples, one of which was spray tans. So naturally I freaked out a bit since I was standing there with dark brown spray tan dipping out of my nose from inhaling the fumes and waiting for the sticky mess to dry into my skin. Looking back, I know this was a sign from God. I don’t think it was a coincidence I turned the TV on and this particular show & topic just happened to be playing. God knew I was stubborn and I needed a wake up call. And did I ever get it…

Shortly after the Olympia my body had enough and I was forced to allow it to recover. I had indescribable fatigue, had a ton of hair loss (like I would wake up with handfuls of hair all over my pillow), my skin was looking jaundice, my liver enzymes were super elevated, I caught multiple colds that was hard to recover from, I developed major food allergies, lost a ton of weight & muscle mass, had horrible insomnia, depression, uncontrollable muscle spasms and the list goes on…

I was in and out of the doctors office numerous times a week with no answers. During this time, a close friend who I considered a brother passed away from cancer at 21. He was super fit and training for his first iron man. So the fact that he had such a tough battle with cancer was a shock to many. Furthermore, just a few months before this death, our family suffered its greatest loss. One of the most amazing women I have ever known also passed away from this ugly disease. She also was young and super fit. The phrase cancer sucks is an understatement. It’s horrific, does not discriminate and scares the crap out of me.

During this hard time, I was filled with many emotions.. hating this disease for taking these people away too early and also worrying about my own health since I had no idea on what was going on. I decided to revamp my lifestyle… I researched and researched for hours a day… I detoxed, I switched to non toxic cleaning products, I ate organic, I switched to safer beauty products, I took the bold move on getting my breast implants removed and started to become my own health advocate. Side note- I think it’s imperative for us to be our own health advocates and to be our children’s health advocates… just like beautycounter says- when we know better, we do better. #truth!

Also, I knew I wanted babies in the near future…but first I had to get my body back on track. I saw specialists doctors who told me it would be very difficult to get pregnant and also found out I had osteoporosis in my spine and hips…only being in my mid twenties. Yup, osteoporosis! Talk about another wake up call! (Osteoporosis is part of the female athlete triad which is a whole other topic I could go on & on about!)

Long story short, it took my body close to a year to recover. I ended up on thyroid medication (that took a while to regulate…again, another post!) and did fertility treatments to get pregnant with my first daughter, Kinslee Lois. During this time I learned a heck of a lot. It was incredibly hard mentally and physically but I’m thankful for it all. I’ve had the opportunity to help prevent these issue in my clients, I learned to trust God and his plan, and I became a more passionate & caring health promoter – on many different levels.

Still with me? 😉 now we fast forward to present day… this is were beautycounter comes into play. 2010 is when I switched to safer beauty products.. I always gave up quality of my beauty products but at least they were non toxic. I tried them all! Some were better than others but none were as good as my old stuff from MAC & Sephora. I was able to try Beautycounter’s products and was amazed that they were such high quality / performing. I was sold on their stuff so bought a ton.. starting off with the mascara, eyeshadows, lip glosses & foundation. (I first checked out their safety with EWG / skin deep and they rated a 1, being the safest you can get!) … loved all the products from my first purchase, so bought more! Then I read about the company itself and fell in love with the movement they are creating. They have such a passion for health promotion like me…. this company is right up my alley (not to mention I love makeup and skin care!) so I had to sign up to be a part of it (& the discount of course, haha!!)

Their mission is to get safer beauty products into the hands of everyone. The truth is many of us take care of our bodies by exercising and eating well.. but many of us are neglecting to pay attention to what we put ON our bodies. Why does this matter? Because our skin is the largest organ on our body and it soaks up all chemicals, impurities and toxins. (Which is why I freaked out about that CNN news alert about the spray tan!) So that body lotion or foundation you’re slathering on your skin that contains parabens and other harmful chemicals.. it goes directly into your blood steam within seconds. When our babies are born, there’s over 200 chemicals found in their umbilical chord. The lipstick that you apply throughout the day.. it very well may contain lead, Mercury, petroleum & other heavy metals..we have to reapply it so much because we are eating it. Yup! True.

Our environment & and what we do matters. We can’t control the toxins we breathe in from pollution for example, but we CAN control what we put in and on our bodies. The sad fact is that cancer, infertility, asthma, autism and other diseases are on the rise. Genes play a small percentage of this (5-10%) and our environment is responsible for the rest. We have the ability to make ourselves and children healthier in so many ways..So hopefully you can see and understand WHY I care about this company’s mission after my own health experiences – esp with cancer & infertility. It hits home in a BIG way. It’s not about “selling” or scaring anyone with these facts & statistics into buying products (yall know me better than that!). It’s about our personal health and the health of or babies and family. My degree and passion is in health promotion so this company is a perfect fit for me, my clients, family and friends. My goal here is to simply help inform everyone about how to switch to safer skin care, makeup, cleaning products, etc. Again, when we know better, we do better.

Our beauty industry lacks regulation in a big way. Beautycounter is doing something to change that. Not only do we want to bring awareness to the public but we are getting things done in congress. Here is a bit from Beautycounter’s site when our Founder and CEO Gregg Renfrew headed to Washington, D.C. to ask Congress to prioritize safe beauty…

“The last time Congress passed a major law overseeing the cosmetic industry was in 1938. The law, which is only one and a half pages long, does little to protect our health; harmful cosmetics ingredients are allowed in the products we put on our bodies every day. On the other hand, the European Union has banned or restricted nearly 1,400 chemicals from cosmetics. It’s safe to say the U.S. is dangerously behind the times.”

So there you have it! If you made it through this long post, thank you! I really tried making it as short as possible 😉 I hope this sheds a bit of light on why I decided to take on another “job”.

Please bring on and questions you may have, beautycounter related or not & I will be happy to help! Feel free to browse these amazing products than I stand behind 100% & personally use for myself and family!

The dirty dozen and the clean 15 refer to the fruits and vegetables that are the most and least contaminated by pesticide use, according to the Environmental Working Group. Paying attention to which foods we buy organic is important because pesticides have been linked to a variety of health problems, including hormone disruption, cancer and brain toxicity. Pesticides present real health risks, particularly to children and those with health concerns. Buying organic can be expensive and can be a gradual process. Knowing which foods are important to buy organic will help minimize pesticide consumption while keeping your budget in check!

What if you can’t afford to buy organic? It’s important to remember not to avoid the foods on the dirty dozen even if you cannot buy them organic. Fresh fruits and vegetables are always a healthier choice than processed foods. Besides, non-organic processed foods are sure to contain a ton of chemicals too!

Here are a few tips on how to eat organic on a budget…

*Use coupons and download apps! Whole Food has an app that tells you what foods are on special that week and coupons. Also, check out your favorite company website for special promotions and printable coupons.

*Budget! Write out a weekly and monthly budget to help you keep track of both erratic spending and responsible spending. This will allow you to see your spending habits and help you prioritize purchasing organic food within your budget.

*Do it yourself, rather than buy it. Make your own organic granola bars, kale chips, smoothies, and juices instead of purchasing them to save money.

*Shop the frozen isle! Organic frozen produce at the store is cheaper than fresh, especially if the fruit or vegetable is out of season.

*Make the right choices…Meat and dairy (animals products like chicken, eggs, cheese, butter, yogurt, milk) are the most important to buy organic because of the combined risk of pesticide, anti-biotic and cancer causing growth hormone exposure. Really try to buy these products organic.

*Only buy organic fruits and veggies from the Dirty Dozen list. For example, if you have a choice between more expensive organic red peppers and less expensive conventional asparagus, choose the asparagus.

Here are a few tips for making the most of your trip to the grocery store!

*Shop with a grocery list and stick to it. Some people find it helpful to write out a meal plan for the week and only buy the items you need for those meals. This way you won’t waste food AND money!
*Stick with fresh, unprocessed foods. Think lots of fresh fruits and veggies and less pop tarts, chips and cookies! 😉
* Avoid shopping when you’re hungry. You’ll be more tempted to buy junky food.
*Fill your cart with lots of fresh, healthy vegetables, quality meats, eggs and fruit.
*When buying grain products, look for the words “whole grain” in the first ingredient. Also switch things up and try gluten-free products such as brown rice & quinoa.
*Choose reduced-fat cheese and 1% or skim milk. Or try almond, cashew or coconut milk instead of cow’s milk, it has twice the calcium and is dairy-free!
*Buy unseasoned fish, chicken and lean cuts of meat and add your own seasoning such as Mrs. Dash (no sodium, lots of flavor!) at home.
*Skip sweetened beverages; drink water instead. You’ll save money and calories!
*Read the Nutrition Facts tables to help you make better food choices.
*Shop the perimeter! If you stick to the walls instead of going down the aisles where all the junky processed foods are, you’re more likely to find clean foods.

Here is a sample clean eating grocery list you can try out on your next shopping trip…

Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts
serves 4
Ingredients:
1 pound Brussels sprouts, washed and trimmed
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 375F. If your coconut oil is solid at room temperature, place the two tablespoons of coconut oil in a small bowl, and set it on top of the oven to warm while you prepare the Brussels sprouts. If the top of your oven isn’t warm enough, you can place the bowl inside the oven for 2 minutes to melt.
Slice the Brussels sprouts in half, and place them in a large bowl. Pour the balsamic vinegar over the halves, and toss well to coat. Add the melted coconut oil, and toss again to coat. Arrange the Brussels into a single layer on a baking sheet, cut-side facing down, and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 mins, flip then bake an additional 15 minutes.

Stay cool and hydrated! Drink water, at least two to four cups (16-32 ounces) upon waking, and similar amounts if you are going out for activities and exercise.

Protect yourself from sunburn! Cover up with a hat and use a natural sunscreen that will help keep you protected minus the extra chemicals.

Keep with your exercise program or begin a new one! Cardiovascular exercise is important for keeping the heart strong and healthy. If you only work out in a health club, take some time to do outdoor activities such as walking/jogging/hiking, biking, swimming, or tennis. Try the outdoor trail workout below to switch things up!

Eat seasonal! Eat foods that are cooling and light such as fresh fruits, vegetable juices, salads, and lots of water. Summer time is when all the best fruits & veggies are in season!

It’s fine to OCCASIONALLY indulge in a summer treat like a slushy, ice cream, or other sweets, but always get the smallest size possible and don’t treat yourself every day. Once in a while is fine, but if you are craving something sweet, opt for fresh fruit. Detox your taste buds and cut out the artificial sweets all together 😉

Enjoy a alcohol beverage or two, but don’t go crazy. These alcoholic drinks just add empty calories, not to mention, too much alcohol is hard on your body and can harm your health/fitness goals.

Eat your fruits and veggies first, this way you will start getting full from the fiber/water content and will potentially eat less of everything else on your plate. You can also try drinking a glass of water before your meal to help curb your appetite.

Make sure your plate is colorful at cookouts! Choose lots of fresh fruits and veggies. You will get fuller, faster and are more likely skip seconds.

Watch the condiments at cookouts. Calories in condiments can add up quickly, like using 1/2 a bottle of BBQ 😉 .

Portion control. It’s easy to overload your plate at BBQs. Pick up a smaller sized plate so you won’t be able to pile on as much food 😉 .

Summer Trail Workout

Mixing walking, running, sprinting and strength training transforms a hike from a simple walk into a full-body workout.

How it’s done: As you continue along the trail, change your pace: For example, go easy for 2 to 3 minutes, pick it up a bit for 3 to 5, then sprint or speed-walk hard for 15 to 60 seconds. Recover at a slower pace until your breathing returns to normal. Then move into a strength move for 60 to 90 seconds, (push-ups and triceps dips on a log or one-legged squats on a flat, sturdy surface.) This makes up one cycle. Do 4 to 6 cycles, mixing up the strength moves and varying your speeds throughout your workout.

It’s starting to get cold outside! Winter weather can often really test our will power to get out the door for a workout. After all, who likes to dressing in layers to go for a run, or risk slipping on ice when out for a walk? Even heating up the car early in the morning to get to the gym for your favorite class can be tough! Although you may want to stay in your warm bed, winter shouldn’t be a time that your fitness plans hibernate (especially with all of those holiday treats around!) With the right frame of mind and the right mix of exercises, it can be much easier to beat the winter blues and keep your exercise plan on track. Here are a few tips on how to make the most out of your winter workouts!

#1 Change your attitude. Winter isn’t just about cold weather, it’s a whole new season! Embrace this time of year by sitting down and revisiting your goals, then plan out what you’d like to accomplish during the next few months.
#2 Get creative at home. Getting to the gym can be more difficult when it is cold and nasty outside, but never use snowy weather as an excuse to miss your daily exercise. Instead, work out at home. Whether you play a DVD workout, invest in a few pieces of fitness equipment or even just use your body weight for a great workout, exercising at home can be a convenient (and fun!) solution to staying on track.

#3 Try something new. Sign up for a new class or join an indoor sports league such as soccer, indoor volleyball or a boot camp class to get you up and moving during the winter months!

#4 Set a big goal—and some little goals. If you find yourself lacking motivation this winter, shake things up with a challenging, new goal. It can be anything from losing those last 5-10 pounds, to running a 5K or even being able to do a few pull/push ups. Just make sure you choose a goal that you really want and that will stretch you beyond your comfort zone to reach it. Setting a smart goal that you then break down into smaller, achievable steps is a great way to start. This type of goal-setting allows you to focus on the bigger picture.

#5 Get excited. If you’ve never been a winter fan, start focusing on what you do love about it and how this time of year provides new opportunities for your fitness and health. From eating delicious in-season produce to sipping some sugar-free hot cocoa with your loved ones, there is much to love about winter when you embrace and appreciate it!!

In case you were curious, here are a few of the healthy in-season produce to stock up on:

Tips: Perform each circuit 3 total times. For example, 3 x 1 minute walking push ups/1 minute jumping jacks/ 1 minute plank/30 second rest. You would perform 1 minute of walking push ups, immediately followed by 1 minute of jumping jacks, immediately followed by a 1 minute plank, then rest for 30 seconds. After the rest is up, you repeat exactly what you did above, two more times total.

Eating healthy and losing weight seems impossible for many people. Despite their best intentions, they continually find themselves eating large amounts of unhealthy foods, even though they know it is causing them harm. Food addiction is simply being addicted to junk food in the same way as drug addicts are addicted to drugs. It involves the same areas in the brain, the same neurotransmitters and many of the symptoms are identical. Processed junk foods have a powerful effect on the “reward” centers in the brain, involving brain neurotransmitters like dopamine. The foods that seem to be the most challenging include processed foods (your typical “junk foods” such as cookies, candies, pastries, sodas, ect) as well as foods that contain either sugar or wheat, or both. Food addiction is not necessarily about a lack of willpower but is about eating the wrong foods.

Here are a few signs you may have a food addiction…

*You frequently get cravings for certain foods, even if you just finished a healthy and satisfying meal.

*When you give in and start eating a food you were craving, you often find yourself eating much more than you intended to.

*When you eat a food you were craving, you sometimes eat to the point of feeling excessively full.

*You often feel guilty after eating particular foods.

*You sometimes make excuses in your head about why you should eat something that you are craving.

*You have repeatedly tried to quit eating or setting rules (includes cheat meals/days) about certain foods, but been unsuccessful.

*You often hide your eating of unhealthy foods from others.

*You feel unable to control your consumption of the “junk” foods, despite knowing that they are causing you harm (includes weight gain).

If you can relate to 4 or 5 of the above symptoms, you may have a food addiction. If you feel you do, no worries! Here are a few steps to help you get back on track and break that food addiction once and for all!

*Don’t go cold turkey: such rigid thinking can make you crave the offending food even more. Allow yourself to enjoy the food, but occasionally and in sensible amounts.

*Control your home environment: Just as someone with an alcohol problem shouldn’t buy a bunch of beer, you shouldn’t overstock your kitchen with foods you find addictive. Exercise purchase and portion control.

*Retrain your brain: In order to be satisfied with two cookies instead of an entire bag, you need to change the way your brain sees food on the plate. Switch to smaller plates and bowls to automatically reduce portion sizes

*Exercise regularly: Exercise also satisfies the pleasure centers of your brain in the same way food does. It increases dopamine levels and raises the number of dopamine receptors in the brain.

*Learn to eat only when you’re hungry: One classic tool that weight loss experts use to teach people how to better manage their appetite is the hunger scale. The scale ranges from 0 to 10, with 0 being ravenously hungry and 10 being overstuffed. Eat when you begin to feel hungry (2 or 3 on the scale) and stop when you feel comfortably satisfied (5 or 6).

*Deal with your emotions: Try to get better at tolerating sensations of sadness, anger, or boredom, rather than rushing to soothe them with food.

Rise & Shine! Try out this 6 am workout before you head to work a few mornings each week!

How do you make smart eating choices when your schedule is crazy and you feel as if you don’t have the time!? It’s hard, I Understand! Preparing healthy meals can sometimes feel like a huge demand when your schedule is jammed packed. Eating healthy on a time budget does take a little extra planning but it’s easier than you think! Invest just a little extra time and I will pay off! Here are a few strategies to help you maintain consistently healthy meals even with the busiest schedule:

Make a list. Take some time one day every week to make a shopping list so you purchase all of the ingredients for your recipes in advance. Keeping a list and sticking to it saves time, money, and unhealthy food from ending up in your shopping cart. PS: never go to the grocery store hungry!

Go frozen. Frozen vegetables become a real timesaver. Same goes for frozen grass-fed beef, chicken, wild-caught salmon, and organic berries. Shopping at warehouse stores can become a real time and money saver. Just buy the very best quality you can find. If you have the freezer space then stock up for weeks or even months with these essentials.

Choose pre-prepped. Choose fresh pre-washed salad greens or fresh produce, which drastically reduces kitchen work. They might be a bit more expensive, but if you’re short on time they’re worth it.

Schedule a preparation day and make it fun. Once you’ve shopped and have a well-stocked kitchen, you’ll want to prepare for the days ahead. Choose one or two days during the week (Sunday’s seem to work well) when you are going to spend extra time in the kitchen cooking and preparing as much as you can in advance. That means chopping veggies, making salads, grilling chicken and cooking brown rice and other whole grains in advance. Get your kids involved to make the process fun and a good learning experience!

When you’re really crunched for time, at least go healthy. Even when you do your best, you’ll have days where everything falls apart and even throwing together a simple salad becomes impossible. Many grocery stores now have hot bars with healthy selections and salad bars. Stopping by the store on your way home for a rotisserie chicken along with sautéed pre-cooked vegetables makes a simple “fast food” meal without the sugar and fat in drive-thru foods. Always do the best you can under the circumstances you are given, your diet doesn’t always have to be perfect!

*Try making a batch or two of these simple Salsa Turkey Burgers then you will always have a healthy and tasty protein choice ready to go in your fridge! Pair this with a whole wheat wrap/ burger bun or brown rice and veggies such as asparagus for a complete meal.

Combine all ingredients until well mixed.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Divide into 4 patties and bake at 400 until done (approximately 20-25 minutes or so), flipping halfway.

Use your that weight room TST offers! Try this Metabolic Workout before work, after work, or during your lunch break!

Metabolic Workout

GIANTSET #1
Jump Squats

Push Ups

Dumbbell Tricep Kick Backs

Superset #2
Alternating Arm Dumbbell Shoulder Presses

30 seconds of Alternating Front Lunges

Superset #3
Squats

Dumbbell Lateral Raises

Superset#4

Hammer Curls

Dumbbell Upright Rows

You can do this workouts 2x per week, and if you still have some energy, you can finish off with some cardio. You can also try alternating between light/heavy days, where for one workout you shoot for 15 reps on each exercise (light day) then the other day you shoot for 10 reps (heavy day).

Do you head to the vending machine to get a sugary snack and/or soda during your afternoon slump? Eating sugary snacks can just makes you crave more sugary snacks! Eating lots of simple carbohydrates without adequate proteins or fats can quickly satisfy hunger and give you a short-term energy boost, but they quickly leave you hungry again and craving more junk. Here are a few steps you can take to stop those junk food cravings once and for all!

*Indulge a little! If you are really craving something then don’t completely deny yourself. Deprivation can often lead to overeating. Give yourself a small cookie, a fun size candy bar or one piece of two of dark chocolate- just keep it to 100 to 150 calories.

*Combine foods. Combine an unhealthy food or a treat food with a heAalthy one. Try dipping fruit such as bananas and strawberries in some melted dark chocolate or mix some almonds with a few chocolate chips to satisfy your sweet tooth.

*Go cold turkey. If you cut out all processed foods and sugars the first 3 days can be pretty rough! Some people find their sugar cravings go away completely while others find them greatly diminished.

*Reach for some fruit. The natural sugars and fibers in the fruit will help satisfy your sweet tooth and keep away from hunger while providing healthy nutrients.

*Get moving! When a craving hits get up and go for a walk or do a set of push-ups, jumping jacks and crunches. Exercising will help get your mind off the craving and within a few minutes it will pass!

*Slow down and focus. For one week try to focus on what you are eating and think about your meals and snacks in advance. Make it a point to eat only what you intend to and don’t give into temptons.

*Reward yourself for sticking to a healthy low sugar diet! Go shopping, get a massage or treat yourself to whatever it is you enjoy! Just try not to do junk food rewards 😉

*Get the right kind of support. Many people turn to sweet foods when they’re stressed, depressed, or angry. But food doesn’t solve emotional issues. Consider whether emotions are involved in your sugar cravings and whether you need help to find other solutions to those emotional problems.